4. Make your kit an extension of you
"I can trust my equipment; it's very reliable and I know I won't run into technical problems when I'm in remote locations," says Ulla. "I ask a lot of myself in situations but I also push my equipment."
Alongside a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and a Canon EOS 5DS R, Ulla uses the full-frame mirrorless Canon EOS R when scaling mountains and photographing volcanic eruptions. Its lightweight body and its touchscreen allow her to focus on capturing images in the heat of the moment – such as when she's "dangling from a cliff on a rope" and can't look through a viewfinder.
Canon RF lenses have also helped her to explore new possibilities. "On assignment for GEO France, shooting a volcano erupting in Indonesia, I took a Canon EOS R as a back-up camera, alongside a Canon RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM lens and a Canon RF 24-70MM F2.8L IS USM. I really fell in love with the RF lenses – they're incredibly sharp and fast. I found myself using the camera not as a back-up, but as my main body.
"A lot of the photographs selected [by the editors] were taken with the Canon EOS R. Much of that assignment was in low light, and I can shoot more handheld with the new lenses. The ISO was great, the stabilization was perfect and they were fast. The quality of the camera meets the quality needed for magazines."